Sâmia Bomfim advocates for broad legalization of cannabis and calls on the National Congress about the progress of PL 399

Federal deputy for PSOL from São Paulo, Sâmia Bomfim has stood out in the National Congress as one of the main voices advocating for the legalization of Cannabis sativa. Her proposal goes beyond medicinal use: it envisions the broad legalization of the plant with state regulation over production and distribution, the decriminalization of all drugs, and the granting of amnesty to users and small traders currently imprisoned for drug-related crimes.

In May of this year, the parliamentarian attended the 4th Brazilian Congress on Medicinal Cannabis, where she reiterated the need for urgency in the processing of the Bill 399/2015, which proposes the regulation of the cultivation and commercialization of cannabis exclusively for medicinal and industrial purposes in Brazil. Approved in 2021 by a special committee of the Chamber of Deputies, the project remains stalled, awaiting deliberation by the Board of Directors.

The Project seeks to amend Article 2 of Law No. 11,343/2006 (Drug Law), allowing the commercialization of medications containing extracts, substrates, or parts of the Cannabis sativa plant in their formulation. According to the deputy, the proposal is a significant step towards the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Brazil, but she claims to face resistance and sluggishness in legislative processes.

"There is still a lot of prejudice and misinformation in the political class, which does not understand what it is about, which does not understand the health benefits for millions of Brazilians", she states.

Science, health, and hope

Sâmia acknowledges that the Brazilian scientific community has dedicated itself to studying the benefits of cannabis in treating various diseases and improving patients' quality of life. However, according to her, scientific progress is still hindered by a strong social and political stigma.

"Events like the Brazilian Congress on Medicinal Cannabis play a fundamental role," she says. "They help the scientific community, agribusiness, doctors, and the general population understand what the plant is about. They show a Brazil that could be completely different, much better, if it encouraged cultivation and had a distribution plan through SUS."

Sâmia believes that popular engagement is essential to break barriers and raise awareness in the National Congress. "I hope that in the coming years, we will have even more people participating and learning about the cause. I am sure this impacts Brasília and helps in the regulation and approval of PL 399," she concludes.

Follow the interview: